


Scarhead

by kirani



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Soul Bond, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-15
Updated: 2016-04-04
Packaged: 2018-05-26 21:49:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 17,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6257179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kirani/pseuds/kirani
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set in a wizarding world where your Soulmate bond exists from birth and you are marked with the same scars as your Mate, Draco Malfoy has always known that Harry Potter is his Soulmate from the scar on his forehead.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Draco

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by the wonderful [astaria](http://archiveofourown.org/users/astraria)  
> Not brit-picked

When Draco Malfoy was born, his parents immediately fell in love.

They did everything for their son, surviving the best they could in a cruel world where blood status and politics are more important than morality. They fought for He Who Must Not Be Named to protect him.

And then they defected to protect him.

Draco’s second Halloween, his parents were awoken to their son’s screams in the middle of the night and found a fresh gash on his forehead. It quickly scarred into a lightning bolt shape and the baby eventually settled back down to sleep. His parents stayed up all night watching over him, worried what this meant for their son and his Soulmate.

They had heard the rumours of the Potter boy being the one He Who Must Not Be Named was to kill, and when the Daily Prophet next morning printed a description of Harry’s new scar in the story of his parents’ murders and the fall of the Dark Lord, Narcissa Malfoy fainted.

After some hurried discussions, Lucius and Narcissa decided to cover their baby’s scar.

They quickly defected after the fall, Lucius using his power within the Ministry to bring them around to the right side for his son. He would do anything for the happiness of Draco.

Draco was three years old when he first asked his mother why he had to put makeup on his scar.

“It’s just not very pretty, Draco dearest, and we can’t have anything marring that pretty face of yours.”

She tickled him and he giggled and forgot.

The summer he was five years old he asked again.

“Mother, why do I have to cover my forehead scar?”

“We can’t let that ugly thing ruin your beautiful face, my love,” she explained again.

“Do I have to cover my other scars, too?”

Narcissa stared at her son. “What other scars, love?”

“On my back,” he explained calmly.

Narcissa quickly disrobed her son and stared in horror at the marks across his back and buttocks. She picked him up – really he was getting too big for this – and brought him straight to his father.

“Lucius?” she knocked at his study door.

He opened the door, looking annoyed.

“Can it not wait?”

In response, Narcissa shifted Draco in her hold to show her husband the scars on his back.

“Merlin,” Lucius muttered reverently. “A moment, darling.”

He disappeared back into his office briefly and the whoosh of floo powder was heard as his guest departed.

Lucius reemerged and took his son from Narcissa, set him on the floor, and squatted before him.

“Draco, where did you get these marks?”

Draco’s bottom lip quivered as he looked at his father. “I don’t know, Father. They’re just there.”

“Shh, it’s okay, Draco, you haven’t done anything wrong,” his mother interjected softly, her hands on her son’s small shoulders.

“Do you have any other marks, Draco?” his father continued.

He shook his head as tears began to slip out of his eyes.

Lucius looked up at his wife and nodded. She led him to his room, murmuring reassurances, and gave him a dreamless sleep draught. Then she returned to her husband’s study.

He was sitting at his desk with his head in his hands.

“What does this mean?” Narcissa asked quietly as she slid into the seat across from him.

“He’s being abused,” Lucius answered. “Surely you can see that.”

“I’m a mother, of course I can. But what does it mean for Draco? For us?”

“He’s too young to meet his Mate,” Lucius shook his head. “But we have to stop the abuse of Potter. We have to go to the ministry.”

“They won’t believe us,” Narcissa shook her head sadly. “Too many still believe we’re loyal to the Dark Lord.”

“We’ll have to convince them,” he answered. “For Draco.”

The conversations at the ministry were completed behind closed doors. No one knew who tipped them off. But less than a week later, Harry Potter was removed from the care of his Aunt and Uncle and placed with his distant cousin Andromeda Tonks (née Black) and her husband Ted.

The Tonks’ were well-respected by the wizarding community at large, though not by the supporters of the Dark Lord, as Ted was Muggle-born. Their daughter, Nymphadora, had just completed her first year at Hogwarts. It was a good fit.

After the Malfoys were assured of Harry’s safety, they sat down to have a discussion with Draco.

“Draco, do you know what Soulmates are?”

“No.”

Narcissa smiled sweetly and began to explain. “When two people are truly meant to be together, there is a magic that binds them. Even before they meet. That bond is usually hard to feel when you’re young. Your father and I didn’t realize we were Soulmates until our late teen years.”

“Okay,” Draco looked between his mother and father, confused.

“Draco, there’s something you need to know. Your scars are from where your Mate has been hurt.”

“Why?”

His mother explained again. “Bad people hurt your Mate. Now, your Mate has been put into a safe place. Neither of you should get any more scars. You have to tell us if you see any more, though, alright love?”

“Of course, mother,” Draco promised. “Who is my Mate?”

“We’ll tell you when you’re older.”

Draco was satisfied for the moment, being only five years old and not fully understanding the concept of Soulmates.

For the next six years, no one talked about Harry Potter in the Malfoy house and no one in the wizarding world got any photos of him, as Andromeda was very protective of her young charge.

When Draco received his Hogwarts letter, his parents sat him down for another serious discussion.

“Draco, do you remember what Soulmates are?” his mother asked.

“Yes, Mother.”

“Do you remember what we told you about your scars?”

“Yes, Mother. They are from people hurting my Soulmate.”

“It’s time you knew who your Soulmate is, since you’ll be meeting him this fall.”

Draco’s eyes widened and he nodded  excitedly.

Narcissa pulled an old newspaper clipping from a folder and placeed it in front of her young son.

“THE BOY WHO LIVED,” read the headline. Draco quickly scanned the article, but it’s really nothing he hadn’t already known. Every child in the wizarding world knew the story of the baby Harry Potter defeating You Know Who and being orphaned in the process. He lived with relatives now.

But when Draco gets to the description of Harry’s scar, he gasps.

“That’s my scar!”

“When Harry defeated He Who Must Not Be Named, he was marked with a scar. That same night, a scar appeared on your forehead. Your father and I knew then that he was your soulmate.”

Draco stared in awe at his parents.

Narcissa continued.

“He is in your year at Hogwarts. He’ll be getting his own letter any day now.”

“I get to meet my Soulmate already?!” Draco bounced excitedly in his chair.

“That’s what we need to talk to you about, Draco,” his father interrupted. “Harry doesn’t know you’re his Soulmate. He also doesn’t know why he was moved in with the Tonks’ when he was five years old.”

“Why was he?”

Lucius and Narcissa exchanged a glance before Narcissa steeled herself to continue.

“Your scars are from where Harry’s Aunt and Uncle hit him.”

Draco gasped but his mother continued.

“When we saw them, we knew what had happened and your father pulled some strings at the ministry to move Harry to a safe home. It was played off in the press as an anonymous tip. Not even the Tonks’ know who told the Ministry.”

“Draco,” his father pulled his attention to himself. “It is very important not to talk about this connection. Give it time. Continue to hide your scar for now. Befriend Harry, but remember that it is not easy growing up an orphan and a celebrity.”

“Yes, Father.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you care how I got the the Tonks' as distant cousins, I made a [family tree](http://merlinisnotover.tumblr.com/post/141090420565/this-is-a-family-tree-for-my-newest-fic-because-i).


	2. Harry

Harry Potter was a private boy.

His difficult early childhood kept him from fully placing his trust in people, especially in figures of authority, and he was shy around strangers.

However, his childhood after being taken in by his cousins Andromeda and Ted Tonks improved tenfold, introducing him to the wizarding world slowly and gently. By the age of six, Harry referred to his cousins-turned-adoptive-parents as Mum and Dad. Their daughter Nymphadora was simply, “My sister, Dora.”

Dora came home each Christmas and summer holiday with wilder and wilder stories of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry was anxious for his chance to attend. Late at night, after their parents had gone to bed, she told him about secret passages and pranks, and, most notably, she taught him about Soulmates.

Harry was captivated by the idea of Soulmates. One person who he was destined to be with.

“How will I know who mine is, Dora?” Harry asked her the summer he turned nine, and she was 16.

“You’ll feel a magical connection when you touch. When you hurt, they hurt. When you are happy, they’ll be happy.”

There was a pause as Harry processed. “So they got hurt by the Dursley’s too,” Harry said quietly.

Dora observed her baby brother curiously, he was smarter than he looked sometimes. “I suppose that’s right.”

“Hey, Harry?” he looked up and she turned her hair bright pink and turned her nose into a duck beak. He laughed and she began a long-winded story about setting off dung bombs outside of Filch’s office, complete with quacks.

On Harry’s eleventh birthday, he received his Hogwarts letter.

Dora had left Hogwarts that June and was beginning her Auror training, but she came home for Harry’s birthday.

“Happy birthday, Harry!”

“Dora!” Harry ran to her. “I didn’t know you were coming home!”

“Couldn’t miss my brother’s birthday, now could I?”

The next morning, his adoptive family sat him down for a chat.

“Harry,” Andromeda began, “do you know about Soulmates?”

“Dora told me it’s the person I’m supposed to be with forever.”

Dora smiled at him. His mother nodded and continued.

“Do you know how the bond works?”

“They feel my pain and happiness and I feel theirs.”

“More or less,” Andromeda conceded with a chuckle.

“And so they have my scar, too,” Harry continued.

“How’d you figure that out?” Ted asked, glancing at his daughter.

“It just makes sense,” Harry shrugged.

“Harry, you know the story of how you got that scar,” Andromeda said. “And you know that means a lot of people know that scar…” she trailed off.

Harry nodded, not sure where this was going.

“What your mum is trying to say,” Ted continued for his wife, “is that people may try to fake a Soulmate connection with you using that scar, and we want you to be careful. You may meet your Mate at Hogwarts or you may not. Just be on the lookout. If anything doesn’t feel right, talk to a teacher. Or write us.”

“Which brings us to the most important part of today, your birthday present!”

Harry smiled as his mum led him into the kitchen where a great snowy owl was hooting peacefully in a cage on the table.

Harry hugged his parents. “She’s beautiful!”


	3. Hogwarts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A series of moments throughout Harry and Draco's first five years at Hogwarts

However polite he was with his parents, Draco Malfoy was not a nice boy.

His parents adored him and he got away with more than he rightly should have. By the time he boarded the Hogwarts Express, he had a core group of cronies willing to follow him in everything he did. His default mood with his peers was one of superiority and entitlement.

It did not endear him to Harry Potter.

The two quickly became rivals, much to his father’s annoyance and his mother’s sadness. Draco talked about him constantly to his parents, but nothing could undo Draco’s behavior towards Potter.

~

Harry had initially been disappointed that his Soulmate did not attend Hogwarts with him, but he quickly forgot his search for a Soulmate as he befriended first Ron Weasley, then Hermione Granger. The trio were inseparable, investigating whatever mysteries caught their eye and getting into loads of trouble along the way.

He met Lord Voldemort in his first year, hiding on the back of his professor’s head.

~

Draco’s second year was awful. He knew through the Soulmate bond the shame and humiliation radiating from Potter. He wasn’t the Heir of Slytherin, and frankly Draco was a bit bored with the speculation by the time Harry stumbled into the Slytherin common room disguised as Crabbe and Goyle with Ron Weasley.

He could immediately feel the Soulmate bond between them even through the polyjuice potion and he had a grand old time leading them on.

It was one of his fonder memories.

But after they fled from his presence, he began to worry. The bond between him and his mate was so strong, how could Harry not feel it? 

He had heard somewhere that some Soulmates were unrequited, the bond only going one way. Draco was afraid this may have happened with him and Harry. 

~

In his second year, Harry saved Ron’s sister Ginny from the Chamber of Secrets. When he returned with her to the school he found that Neville had been taken to the hospital wing for a mysterious fainting spell, and it soon became clear that the two were Soulmates. Eleven and twelve years old respectively were remarkably young to find their Soulmates but the two soon became close friends.

Harry’s disappointment at his own lack of Soulmate returned.

~

Draco’s third year he set out to forget about Harry Potter and his unrequited Mate bond. He struck up casual relationships with anyone and everyone, messing around in disused classrooms and dumping each partner when he became bored.

Despite his commitment to forgetting Harry, however, his eyes always landed on him when he entered the Great Hall.

~

In his third year, Harry met his biological father’s close friend Remus Lupin. He learned about the Potters from him in a way that his mum wouldn’t have known, and he excitedly wrote down every story he could to Dora. The Marauders, as they called themselves, were much better pranksters than even his metamorphmagus sister had been in her time at school.

Together, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Lupin helped free falsely accused Marauder Sirius Black from being kissed wrongly by Dementors and the man went on the run.

 

~

Draco’s fourth year he gave up trying to ignore Harry and instead focused on making his life a living hell in the hopes that he would finally notice their Mate bond. He harassed and helped others harass the fourth champion of the triwizard’s tournament with a ferocity matched only by his secret longing for the Boy Who Lived.

He made up pins that insulted Harry, he spread rumours, and he took every opportunity to insult him.

It did nothing to fix his growing crush.

Nor did the third task. He felt his Mate bond stretch as though across a great distance and then…

He felt the cruciatus curse. He knew what it must be even across such a distance. 

His Mate had suddenly reappeared in the front of the maze and Draco had been sick as the bond struggled to convey all of the physical and emotional pain Harry was suffering.

When he heard the full story from Dumbledore -- that Harry had been transported to a graveyard and forced to witness the death of fellow champion Cedric Diggory, complete a Dark potion, then duel He Who Must Not Be Named -- Draco fled from the Great Hall. 

He spent the next three hours locked in a toilet cubicle alternating between retching and sobbing as he remembered the pain and put the story together. 

Again, he wondered if the bond even went both ways. How could Harry not feel this when it was so strong to Draco?

~

After witnessing Lord Voldemort’s return to power in the graveyard in his fourth year, Harry announced to his adoptive parents his desire to follow his adoptive sister’s footsteps and become an auror.

He didn’t think about Soulmates anymore.

~

By fifth year, Draco was sick and tired of the scars Harry’s heroics had etched onto his body. He covered his forehead scar and never let his housemates see him shirtless, but the broken bones and countless injuries did not endear Harry to him.

He pined after him constantly but the seemingly unrequited bond ended up just making him mad at Potter.

~

Dementors attacked Harry the summer before his fifth year, and he and his parents moved into the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix to ensure his safety. He successfully fought the bogus charges of underage magic with the – seemingly begrudging – help of headmaster Professor Dumbledore and he returned to school as normal that fall.

The Tonks’ warned Harry not to aggravate Professor Umbridge, but the boy was seething with anger constantly. He was having nightmares and headaches and refused to listen to reason. It was only a matter of time before he landed in detention with the toad of a woman.

Harry hid the resulting scars from everyone. Friends, teachers, and family alike. He was too stubborn to admit he needed help, especially when they had all warned him.

~

There was one person Harry couldn’t hide his new scars from, and one evening, Draco’s hand began to ache. He glanced down and saw a new scar beginning to form. He immediately made his excuses and hid in his four-poster bed as the scar deepened over the course of Harry’s detention.

He used the same makeup to cover the hand scar as he used on his forehead, and wrote his parents. When their response confirmed his fears, he took his knowledge to the head of his house, Severus Snape.

He hung back after a potions lesson.

“Professor, may I have a word?”

“Certainly Mr. Malfoy,” Severus stopped clearing up the lesson and led the way to his office.

When they were settled, Draco performed a Scourgify charm on his hand, removing the makeup, and showed the scars to Professor Snape.

“I have reason to believe Professor Umbridge is using a blood quill on students,” he stated matter-of-factly.

Snape grabbed his hand and inspected it, then looked at the student before him.

Draco held his gaze and began to explain.

“The marks began appearing last week, I certainly have not used a blood quill so they must belong to my Soulmate.”

“And how did you come to the conclusion that Professor Umbridge was behind this? Do you know who your Soulmate is?”

Draco nodded, pointed his wand at his forehead and again whispered, “Scourgify.”

Snape’s mouth dropped open as the lightning bolt scar became visible on Draco’s forehead. When he had recovered his wits, he sealed the room from curious ears.

“Draco, I need you to listen very carefully to me,” he said quietly. “Dolores Umbridge may be a foul creature but she represents the Ministry here at Hogwarts and as such is not to be disciplined.”

“What?!”

“Listen,” Snape paused and watched his student carefully for his attention to return before continuing. “I will speak with Potter about this and make it clear he is not to find himself in detention with her anymore. But I cannot do anything about the scars already formed.”

“But I saved him from his horrible Aunt and Uncle!” Draco blurted out before clapping his hand over his mouth.

Snape raised a single eyebrow.

“They, they beat him,” Draco whispered. “I showed my father my scars and he tipped off the ministry. He’s a horrid git –“

“Language, Mr Malfoy.”

“—but he’s my Mate so I guess I care what happens to him,” he shrugged.

“I will do what I can,” Snape finally conceded.


	4. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco takes matters into his own hands

Draco knew Harry could be downright obstinate, but he had expected him to avoid upsetting Umbridge a little better than this. The scars on his right hand had again begun to ache and deepen one evening not long after he had confided in Professor Snape, and Draco decided to take matters into his own hands.

He made his way to Professor Umbridge’s office corridor and waited for Potter to emerge.

When he finally did, Draco was shocked at what he saw. Harry’s hand was bandaged and his face was pale. His mouth was set in a firm line as he hoisted his book bag and made for the Gryffindor dorms.

“Oi, Potter!”

Draco called, trying to fake his usual attitude.

“What do you want, Malfoy?”

Draco swaggered up to his Mate. “Couldn’t resist more scars, could you?”

Harry looked startled. Good.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Malfoy.”

In response, Draco tapped the back of Harry’s bandaged hand and was rewarded with a wince of pain.

“Can’t believe you were stupid enough to get landed in another detention with her. That’s a lie, I can believe you were that stupid. But didn’t know you were selfish, too.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Harry spat back.

“You’re hurting your Mate, too,” Draco said, gentler than he had meant to.

Harry’s mouth dropped open. “I didn’t think of it that way…”

“’Course not, ‘cause you’re an arrogant git,” Draco drawled.

“And why the bloody hell do you care if I’m hurting my Mate. They’re probably a Muggle anyways, I haven’t seen any matching scars around here, that’s for sure.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that, Potter,” Malfoy said with a smirk.

The next thing Draco knew, Harry had pushed him up against a wall and was holding him there with his fist in his robes.

“What do you know?!” Harry growled.

Draco blushed, inwardly cursing himself, but Harry’s face was mere inches from his own and he was having trouble forming words.

When it became clear that Draco wasn’t going to answer him, Harry dropped him and stalked off.

Draco crumpled to the floor and cried.

Wasn’t it enough that he wasn’t Harry’s Soulmate without him having to actively hate him? If he was honest with himself, it was his behavior that turned Harry against him. Why had he been so cruel that he had turned even the loyal Harry Potter against him with such ferocity? 

~

“He knows something!”

“Harry, mate, I know, but beating up Malfoy isn’t going to fix anything!”

“Besides, what kind of how-we-met story is that?” Hermione added. “’Oh, yes I met my Mate because I threatened their friend until he told me what he knew.’ Not a very good start to a relationship.”

Harry punched the sofa.

~

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Nice to see you, too, Pansy,” Draco huffed as he flopped into his seat at the Slytherin table the following morning at breakfast.

She made a sound of outrage and turned to her right to talk to Astoria Greengrass.

Draco didn’t talk to anyone all day.

He was sitting in the library attempting to study and get his mind off Potter when Ginny Weasley slid into the seat across from him.

“What do you want, Weasley?”

Ginny lifted her wand and whispered, “Scourgify,” at Draco’s forehead. He barely had time to gasp in surprise at the wand pointing at him. He quickly realized what she had done and clasped his hands over his scar, but it was too late.

“Knew it,” Ginny said with a self-satisfied scowl.

“You’ll regret this, Weasley,” Draco hissed as Ginny stood up and quickly exited the library.

~

That night while Harry was in detention, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione huddled in a corner of the Gryffindor common room and she relayed what she had learned.

“He’s going to be so upset,” muttered Ron.

“I don’t know,” Hermione mused. “They do have that playground rivalry thing going on…”

“That’s what I thought, but if Malfoy’s got the scar, he must have always known,” Ginny reasoned. “Which means he doesn’t want Harry… Or thinks it’s an unrequited Match…”

“Unrequited Matches are shite,” Ron said, “but if anyone deserves one it’s Malfoy.”

Hermione shot him a look and he shut up.

“I have an idea, if you’re up for it,” Ginny said mischievously.

“I’m listening,” Hermione smiled.

~

In the next potions lesson, Draco was on edge. He didn’t think the Weasley girl had said anything, because surely Harry or at least Ron would know by now, but they didn’t seem to be acting any differently.

However, after the lesson, Ron walked up to him.

“Hey, Malfoy,” Ron challenged. “Heard you were hitting on my sister.”

Draco was shocked but quickly recovered his drawl. “Weasley, I have better things to do than associate with your filthy family.”

“If I see you near her again, you’re dead,” Ron threatened.

Malfoy swung his bag onto his shoulder and walked away without justifying the threat with a response.

He thought that would be the end of that, but at lunch the next day, Ginny Weasley approached him again.

“Stay away from me, Weasley,” Draco hissed as she sat down at the Slytherin table.

“Been thinking about how I  _ own _ you right now, Malfoy?” Ginny said under her breath so only Draco could hear. “I could tell anyone and you’d have nowhere to hide.”

“Like I’m afraid of you, Weasley,” Draco scowled.

But the next moment, Draco was being hauled up by his shirt and punch squarely in the nose by one Ron Weasley.

“What did I tell you?!” he shouted.

“What the hell?!”

Draco and Harry had shouted it together.

They locked eyes as both clutched a bleeding nose. Then Harry grabbed Ron by the sleeve and ran from the Great Hall, leaving Draco to be ushered to the hospital wing by Pansy.

~

Harry paced the rug in front of the fireplace while his two best friends sat nervously on the couch.

Finally he turned to them. “Explain.”

“Harry, please don’t be angry,” Hermione begged. “Ginny figured it out first, she wanted to tell you in a way you couldn’t ignore. Ron… may have gotten a bit carried away with his role.”

“Sorry, mate,” Ron agreed.

“Wait, tell me what?” Harry asked.

“Draco’s your Soulmate.” Hermione answered calmly.

“But the scar!” Harry’s hand flew to his forehead out of habit.

“He hides it with concealer,” Hermione said. “Ginny cast a cleaning charm on him and it was immediately clear. She had her suspicions already.”

Harry gaped at her, open mouthed.

“I have to write to my parents,” he said as he gathered up his things and retreated to the dormitory.

~

Draco was miserable.

Harry knew. He knew and he was angry.

He couldn’t blame him, really, he had been a right git to him for years. But they’re Mates. That has to count for something, right?

His one hope was that Harry had been hurt too, so it wasn’t actually unrequited. Just… complicated.

He was screwed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter I have written so far, more soon! Many thanks again to my wonderful beta astraria!


	5. Bond

_ Harry, _

_ Thank you for writing us about this. We will talk about it over Christmas. Please remember to be careful with what you put in letters. For now I would avoid this potential. _

_ Love, _

_ Mum _

Harry stared dumbfounded at the parchment that Hedwig had brought him with the morning post.

“What is it, Harry?” Ron asked.

When Harry didn’t answer, Ron snatched the parchment out of his hand.

“Right, Christmas, then,” Ron said. Harry just nodded. It had waited five years, it could wait a couple more weeks.

All thoughts of Soulmates were soon forgotten, however, when Harry dreamt of Mr. Weasley at the door at the end of the corridor. After a Christmas at the Order headquarters and Mr. Weasley’s slow recovery, Harry finally got a chance to talk with his mum about Draco.

“It certainly does seem odd that he wouldn’t have said anything sooner,” she admitted, “but the fact that he was hiding the scar doesn’t seem like he was trying to use it against you. And your matching bloody noses seem to point towards it being a true Soulmate match.

“I know you are not the fondest of friends but I would suggest you sit down and talk with Draco, you may be surprised. People do strange things when Soulmates are involved.”

~

Christmas at the Malfoy manor was subdued. Now that Draco had confirmation that Harry didn’t want him for a Mate, even if it wasn’t unrequited, it was impossible to cheer him up.

He considered not going back to Hogwarts.

He considered writing Harry.

He ended up doing nothing.

~

“I guess I should,” Harry mused the first morning back at Hogwarts after the Christmas holiday. “Talk to him, that is.”

Hermione smiled. Ron choked on his bacon.

Then Harry stood, squared his shoulders, and marched off to the Slytherin table.

“Malfoy,” Harry said. “Can I talk to you?”

Draco shrugged and followed Harry out of the Great Hall.

“What do you want, Potter?” he snarled as Harry shut the door to the empty classroom behind them.

“I wanted to apologize,” Harry began, blushing in spite of himself, “for my friends. They wouldn’t have resorted to such drastic measures if I wasn’t so obstinate.”

“Apology accepted, you are obstinate,” Draco crossed his arms over his chest.

“And I wanted to ask you a question.”

“Alright.”

“How long have you known?”

Now it was Draco’s turn to blush. “My parents figured it out when you got your scar. They told me just before I came to Hogwarts.”

Harry nodded. “And why didn’t you say something earlier?”

Draco huffed and rolled his eyes, but Harry continued to watch him with soft eyes and slowly he gave in.

“Well, for one thing, eleven is really young to meet your Soulmate. For another, it was such a strong sensation to me, I didn’t understand how you…” He rubbed the back of his neck, stalling for time.

“How I didn’t feel it too?” Harry asked.

Draco just nodded.

“You thought it was unrequited,” Harry said, almost a whisper.

Draco nodded again, tears threatening to escape his eyes. He furiously wiped them on the back of his hand.

“Draco,” Harry said, and Draco’s head snapped up. He hadn’t called him Malfoy.

“I feel it, too.” Harry watched his Mate’s eyes. “I think it’s why our fights hurt so much. Why I was always drawn back to you. Why I hated that you hated me. I didn’t understand it as a Mate’s bond, I had no idea what I was feeling, but it’s there. It’s always been there.”

“Oh, thank Merlin,” Draco sighed.  

“Do you… Do you hate me?”

“No,” Draco answered without a pause.

“So what now?” Harry asked.

“Well, we can go back to normal, ignore this all, so long as you stay out of detention with Umbridge—“

“Oh shit, your hand!” Harry grabbed Draco’s right hand to search it for signs of the scars.

The moment they touched, though, he was shocked to feel a sudden chill. Harry’s fingers subconsciously threaded through Draco’s and warmth seemed to radiate from the union of fingers, dissipating the chill and filling Harry with heat.

Draco didn’t seem to be quite as affected by the bond making itself known – perhaps he had always felt this way? – and he pulled out his wand and muttered, “Scourgify,” at his hand, then his forehead.

Harry’s fingers seemed to move on their own accord to Draco’s forehead and he reverently traced the thin scar. His other hand was still holding Draco’s scarred hand.

Then his eyes drifted down and met Draco’s. He saw a challenge. But more importantly, he felt the desire across the Mate bond.

“Can I kiss you?”

Draco’s haughty demeanor was broken suddenly by a brilliant smile. Harry leaned forward.

~

Draco couldn’t believe what was happening. Harry was his Mate and he was Harry’s! And now Harry “The Boy Who Lived” Potter was leaning forward to kiss him!

Harry seemed to be waiting for Draco to close the final two inches between them.

Draco happily obliged as his eyes fluttered closed on their own accord.

The kiss was like nothing he had felt before. It felt like fireworks were exploding behind his eyes; every sensation he had ever felt through the Mate bond was paling in comparison to finally connecting like this.

Draco snaked his arms around Harry’s waist and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss, and was rewarded with a soft moan.

Then Harry fisted his hands in Draco’s robes and Draco lost all control. He pushed Harry back against the classroom door and began to kiss along his jaw and down his neck.

Merlin! How could a neck taste so good?

He nipped at Harry’s ear and Harry gasped, then caught Draco’s face in his hands for another kiss and again, Draco felt like his head would explode. Why had he ever bothered kissing anyone else?

Suddenly the door behind him shook as someone pounded on it.

“Harry? You in there?”

It was Ron Weasley.

He felt the doorknob rattle futilely against the weight of his Mate against the door.

With a sigh, he stepped back and let Harry up, who opened the door to his best mate.

Draco flopped dramatically into a chair and quickly tried to smooth back his hair – to no avail – and noticed too late that he had left a mark on Harry’s neck.

Ron and Harry were whispering at the door, Ron occasionally peering around Harry to gape at Draco who pretended not to notice as he lounged with forced nonchalance. Finally, the redhead seemed to be satisfied and left the room with a knowing grin and a “See ya ‘round, Malfoy.”

Harry closed the door and turned, meeting Draco’s eyes with a shy smile.

“So I guess we’re not going back to normal, then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who's read and reviewed so far!


	6. Secrets

Draco came with Harry to his next Occlumency lesson, much to the surprise of Professor Snape.

“What have we here?” he drawled.

“Draco’s my Soulmate,” Harry said.

“I know this,” Snape said.

“I want to focus on blocking knowledge of this from Voldemort,” Harry said matter-of-factly, sailing through the twin flinches of the Slytherins.

“Very well. Wand out, Potter.”

~

“You really are shite at that,” Draco said as they studied down by the lake after the lesson.

“Shut it, Malfoy,” Harry retorted.

“Maybe, we should…” Draco began.

Harry put down his quill and looked up at Draco.

“Keep this all a secret. For now.”

“Backing out already?”

“No, I just mean…” Draco tried again. “Just not tell people we’re Mates yet. Not with Voldemort looking for you and the Ministry being idiots.”

“Oh, so you believe me then?”

“Of course I do, Harry,” Draco said softly. “I was as good as there with you.”

“Oh. I forgot,” Harry said dumbly.

Draco rolled his eyes. “Lucky you,” he drawled.

Harry blushed. “So, has it always been that way? That you can feel what I’m feeling?”

“The stronger stuff, yeah. And the Cruciatus Curse is about as strong of a feeling as you can get.” Draco said. “Though now that we’ve acknowledged it I think it’s stronger. I feel more than just the really strong pain and emotions.”

Harry nodded, deep in thought.

“Do you want to tell people?” Draco asked.

Harry sighed. “No, I suppose it would only make both of us targets. I couldn’t stand if someone used you against me.”

“Nor I you,” Draco agreed.

“You should join the DA,” Harry said after a pause. “To learn to protect yourself.”

“The DA?”

“It stands for Dumbledore’s Army, it’s kind of an inside joke, but we get together and practice defensive magic.”

“Yeah, alright.”

~

Harry really did try to improve at Occlumency. But focusing on blocking thoughts of Draco from his mind seemed impossible. He felt like he had a constant connection to his Mate’s emotions ever since they had kissed and he couldn’t shut it off, no matter what exercises Snape made him do.

He slammed his books down in the common room after one lesson, his head aching, and buried his face in his hands.

“Harry?” Hermione asked timidly.

“I’m never gonna get it right,” came the muffled reply.

“You just have to think about it differently,” she said. “How does Snape have you clear your mind?”

“Forget it, Hermione,” Harry sighed. “I’m just no good at Occlumency.” He picked up his books and started towards the dorms, but Hermione caught him by the arm.

“What about Draco?” she whispered.

Harry glanced around nervously, afraid someone had heard her.

Then he slumped back into his armchair.

“Yeah, alright. What’ve you got?”

Hermione smiled and began to outline the basics of Muggle meditation for clearing the mind.

“Let’s start with some seven count breathing. Breathe in over seven counts, hold it for seven counts, and then release over seven counts. I’ll count for you.”

Harry nodded and began to inhale

“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.”

Harry sealed his mouth and held the breath in, trying to clear his mind again.

“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.”

Harry released the breath.

“One, two, three, four, five… Harry you’ve let it out too fast, try again.”

Hermione walked him through a couple other breathing exercises but no matter how much he focused on his breathing, his thoughts still wandered to Draco.

After an hour of breathing and meditating, Harry was no closer to being able to shut off his Mate connection.

“I don’t think this works for magical connections,” he complained. “And I’m tired, Hermione. Can we do this tomorrow instead?”

“Of course,” she said softly. “Sleep well, Harry.”

~

At first, Draco tried practicing the mind clearing techniques Snape had taught them to let Harry better clear his mind, but the bonded part of his mind clung desperately to Harry. He didn’t want to be hidden. He didn’t want to be forgotten.

Draco knew he wasn’t helping. Every time he felt Harry try to cut off the Soulmate bond he just… panicked.

He would feel the cloudiness coming through the bond, it felt like Harry was falling asleep. No, it was stronger than that.

It felt like Harry was dying.

Even though he knew he was perfectly safe in the Gryffindor dorm or the dungeon with Snape, the feeling terrified him every time and he began building up a mental resistance to having the bond blocked off.

He never told Harry.

~

Draco was begrudgingly allowed to sign his name to the DA rollcall; Harry’s word seemed to be final with group.

“Today we’ll be practicing stunning spells,” Harry announced at the beginning of his first meeting. “Pair off.”

Draco was paired up with Ginny Weasley and she grinned mischievously.

“Do you know how to do a stunner, Weasley?” Draco teased.

In response, Ginny stunned him onto the cushions waiting behind him.

“I’ve always wanted to do that,” she grinned. “No offence, Harry.”

“None taken. I may take a shot at him when he comes round, actually. That looked fun.”

With that, the atmosphere lightened considerably and everyone set to practicing.

~

In May, Harry announced they would be learning the Patronus charm. Draco was worried. No wizard who had practiced Dark magic was able to produce a patronus. It was too pure. Would he be able to with his family’s past?

“Remember,” Harry was saying, “it has to be a really strong memory. No ‘I just scored a goal in Quidditch,’ memory is going to be strong enough to repel Dementors.”

Draco hummed in thought as he mused over what memory to use. When he first learned who his Soulmate was? No, not strong enough and followed by too many bad memories.

Suddenly, he knew what it had to be. The first time he kissed Harry.

At first, Draco only managed a few mists, but near the end of the meeting, he finally produced a full-bodied patronus.

He wasn’t surprised that it matched Harry’s stag and quickly canceled the charm so no one would see.


	7. Mysteries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy crap, two updates in one day??  
> (don't get used to it)

OWLs were soon upon the fifth years and Harry, Draco, Ron, and Hermione spent every waking moment studying. Hermione had drawn up a study table for Draco as well, which had come in handy, although Draco would never admit it.

Draco and Hermione even ended up spending a fair amount of time studying arithmancy together as they both took the course.

Things seemed to be going well.

Then came the History of Magic OWL. Harry fell asleep and dreamed of the corridor. This time, the door opened and he progressed straight through a circular chamber and through another door. Then he was running down rows and rows of glass orbs, following the sound of screams.

“Take it!” commanded Lord Voldemort.

“Never!” cried Dora.

“Crucio!”

“Dora!” Harry awoke with a shout.

“There, there, up we get now,” said a soft voice. One of the practitioners was leading him by the elbow to the door. “Let’s get you to the hospital wing.”

“No, I’m fine, really,” Harry insisted. “I think I’ll just go to bed.”

“If you insist,” the old man said, leaving him in the hallway.

He did go to the hospital wing first, looking for Professor McGonagall.

“She’s been taken to St. Mungo’s,” Madame Pomfrey informed him, tutting.

“Thanks,” Harry said as he ran from the room.

Next he tried Dumbledore’s office but he didn’t know the password.

Hermione and Ron found him after the exam was over, pacing the floor outside the Great Hall.

“He’s got Dora!” he hissed in a whisper as he pulled them into an empty classroom.

“What are you talking about, Harry?”

“Voldemort! He has Dora! In the Department of Mysteries! I saw it!”

Ron and Hermione exchanged a glance.

“Harry, you don’t suppose, well, Dumbledore did want you to practice Occlumency to avoid Vol- Voldemort – oh get it together Ron – from having this kind of access to you,” Hermione reasoned.

“It wasn’t a dream! It was real!” he shouted.

“Harry?” Ginny Weasley stuck her head in the door. “We thought we heard your voice.”

Ginny and Luna Lovegood came into the classroom and closed the door behind them.

“Is everything alright?”

He relayed the story again, pacing with frustration at not accomplishing anything.

“Have you tried contacting her?” Ginny asked.

“How? All the fireplaces are watched!”

“Not all of them,” Ginny smirked.

With the help of Ginny, Luna, Hermione, and Ron, Harry snuck into Umbridge’s office to contact Order headquarters. Only Kreacher was there.

He emerged to find an irate Umbridge and a captured Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Neville. How had Neville gotten caught up in this?

Hermione’s quick thinking soon had her and Harry deep within the forest, Umbridge kidnapped and no plan going forward, until Ron and the rest of the rescue crew crashed into the clearing.

“That whole “Inquisitorial Squad” is useless,” Ginny said, brushing off her robes. “What now?”

“I have to get to the Ministry, I just don’t know how!”

Harry was pacing again.

“We could fly,” mused Luna in her dreamy state. “Look.”

She gestured at Harry and he glanced behind himself to find a thestral nibbling at his robes.

“Hang on, ‘we’? You’re not going anywhere,” Harry said, looking at his friends. “I won’t get you wrapped up in this.”

“Oh no, we’re coming with you,” Ginny stood with her hands on her hips. “We’ve all been in the DA since the beginning.”

“Yeah, what was this all for if we aren’t going to defend ourselves and our friends?” added Neville.

“He’s right, Harry,” Ron agreed. “You trained us all for this. You know we’re ready.”

“Well, there’s only two thestrals, so you can’t all come,” Harry stalled.

“Look, there’s another!” Luna pointed. 

Ron, Ginny, and Hermione all looked in the direction she pointed but none could properly find it. 

Slowly, more thestrals joined them, drawn by Harry and Hermione’s blood-soaked robes, and soon there were enough for everyone. 

“Harry, what about Draco?” Hermione asked quietly as Harry helped her find her thestral and mount. 

“I won’t draw him into this, too. I can at least keep him safe,” Harry shook his head and then went to mount his own thestral. 

“Ministry of Magic, Visitor’s Entrance, er, please?” Harry asked tentatively.

Then the horse-like legs beneath him tensed and he shot into the sky.

~

Draco felt the Mate bond stretching and cursed inwardly. What had that stupid boy done now?

He went directly to Snape.

“Professor? We may have a problem.”

Snape sighed and gestured him inside.

“Harry had another Legilimancy dream in the History of Magic OWL,” he began.

“I heard as much, he woke calling for Dora,” Snape interrupted.

“Right, well, I think he’s left school grounds.”

“Why do you say that, Mr. Malfoy?”

“I can feel the bond… stretching. Like it does over holidays.”

“Very well. Stay here.”

Snape scowled and marched off.

Draco sat, nervously playing with the hem of his robe. He trusted Snape, but how could he leave him just sitting here? He should be going after Harry!

Eventually, Professor Snape returned to his office and asked Draco to relay any further changes he felt in the bond.

“I’m just supposed to sit here and talk to you?” he scowled.

“Mr. Malfoy, far greater wizards than yourself have been dispatched to find Mr. Potter and return him safely to Hogwarts. In the meantime, kindly relay any changes you feel which may help the Order to locate him.”

For a long time, all Draco felt was the slow stretching and anxiety across the bond, no matter how many times Snape asked him for an update.

Then, confusion. Fear.

“He’s afraid,” Draco said aloud.

“Of what?”

“I don’t know.”

That scared Draco more than he would have thought. He should be angry at being left behind. But all he felt was fear for his Mate, far away where he couldn’t protect him.

They sat in silence for another moment, Draco focusing on the emotions through the bond.

Adrenaline. Being followed.

“He’s looking for something. Someone?”

Snape nodded.

Suddenly, relief flooded the bond.

“He’s relieved?”

“The Order has arrived.”

Draco nodded and felt relief flood his veins as well. He sank back in his chair. Harry would be safe.

However, the happiness was quickly followed by disbelief and anguish and Draco felt Harry scream through the bond. The sound echoed around Draco’s head like it had been trapped. He clapped his hands over his ears until the sound faded and wiped away tears he hadn’t noticed falling.

“That was really strong. Something’s happened. I think… I think someone is dead.”

Draco didn’t know who had died, but Harry’s grief flooded through him and that was enough to renew Draco’s tears.

Then Harry was running. He was angry. Angry in a way Draco hadn’t felt through the bond before. Angry with intention to harm. He clenched his hands on the side of the chair. 

“Don’t be an idiot, Harry,” he whispered.

The anger was soon eclipsed by terrible pain.

Draco felt another presence in his mind. His mouth opened on its own and begged Dumbledore to kill them both in a harsh voice that was not his own. Pain shot through the hidden scar on Draco’s forehead. He fainted.

~

Draco woke up in the hospital wing in a bed next to Harry’s. Dumbledore was seated next to Harry’s bed.

Draco tried to sit up but found his head was aching so fiercely he couldn’t.

“Ah, you’re awake, Mr. Malfoy,” Dumbledore said.

Draco just rubbed his scar.

“Young Mr. Potter here had quite a night, he may not be up for talking about it for a while. But I suppose you know all that, don’t you,” he said with a sad smile, then swept out of the room.

Draco rolled his eyes and settled in to wait for Harry to wake up.


	8. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, Draco and Harry need to talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna just... apologize in advance for this chapter.

Draco fell back asleep before Harry woke, and he woke to the mattress dipping under his Mate’s weight.

“Hi there,” Harry said with a smile as Draco awoke.

“Hi. What happened?”

“Voldemort is out in the open. Sirius is dead. A lot of people are hurt. I yelled at Dumbledore.”

Draco smiled nervously. “Care to start at the beginning?”

Harry walked him through everything. From the dream, the floo visit to the Order Headquarters, the ride to the Ministry on thestrals, the arrival of the Order of the Phoenix, Sirius’ death, chasing Bellatrix Lestrange through the Ministry, Voldemort’s dramatic entrance and duel with Dumbledore, Voldemort possessing Harry, and Harry destroying much of Dumbledore’s office before being admitted to the hospital wing to recover.

“So… why didn’t you come get me?” Draco finally asked, afraid of the answer. He was almost positive it would be some stupid act of Gryffindor bravery.

“Draco, I… I wanted to protect you,” Harry sighed. “I knew it could be dangerous, but no one would stay behind, they wouldn’t let me go alone. I couldn’t risk you, too.”

“You couldn’t  _ risk  _ me?” Draco leaned back on the bed away from Harry and stared at his Mate. “Harry, you taught me defense yourself! You don’t trust me?”

“Of course I trust you! But I taught Ron and everyone else too and they still got hurt!“

Draco scowled at him. “Fine, but what about risking yourself? You are more than happy to walk into dangerous situations that could very well end in your death. If I was there at least I could protect you. Do you know what happens to people whose Mates die? Did you want me living with the guilt that I could have saved you?”

“Dray, please, listen to me, I can’t lose you!”

“You are so selfish!”

“No!”

“What if you had  _ died _ ? What about my losing  _ you _ ?!” “

“I was worried about you!”

“You were worried about yourself. I should have known you could never love me like I love you.” Draco felt his face burning as a blush spread across his face.

Harry just gaped at him.

“That’s what I thought. You know what, it’s too late. You’ve lost me. You lost me when you rode off on your bloody thestral without me. Without even  _ telling  _ me where you were going. Get your head out of your arse and get over your bloody hero complex.”

He placed a hand in the middle of Harry’s chest and shoved him backwards off the bed. Then he rolled over and buried his face in his pillow, his eyes stinging with tears.

~

Harry sat on the floor in the hospital wing and listened to Draco trying to hide his tears.

What had he done wrong? He had only wanted to protect his Mate. What was wrong with that?

~

Draco’s parents officially joined the Order of the Phoenix that summer. Their son’s Soulmate bond with The Boy Who Lived got them a long way, and the reference of Severus Snape sealed the deal. With Grimmauld Place being unsafe, meetings were held at the Burrow.

Draco and Harry saw each other frequently, but they never spoke. Every time Harry tried to talk to him, he spun on his heel and stalked away.

Everyone tip-toed around them.

~

Harry stewed all summer over his failed relationship with Draco.

Hermione and Ron exchanged knowing glances whenever he got particularly touchy and gently changed the topic of conversation. 

~

One afternoon, Harry overheard Mr. and Mrs. Weasley talking in the kitchen about his and Draco’s Mate bond. 

“I hope they can recover from it,” Mrs. Weasley was saying to her husband. “That boy deserves a Soulmate after all he’s been through.”

“Molly, you just have to give them time. They won’t let one argument ruin their Mate bond. They’re just boys. Let them be.”

Later, Harry tried to act casual and asked Ron and Hermione, “Can Mate bonds… break?”

They exchanged another of their glances before Hermione answered. 

“Yes, sometimes, though it’s very rare. But it can happen when one Mate seriously hurts the other.”

Harry nodded, processing.

“Harry? Are you alright?” She asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

~

Draco walked into the kitchen at the Burrow to find Harry humming as he washed dishes.

He immediately spun around and left.

“Draco, wait!”

He quickened his pace, but Harry caught up with him and grabbed his arm, spinning him around.

“Just, hear me out, alright?”

Draco crossed his arms, trying not to focus on the tingling where Harry had touched his arm.

“I’m sorry,” Harry said. “I’m sorry for everything. For leaving you behind. For thinking I could make that decision for you. For not understanding why you were upset.”

“You didn’t even understand why I was upset? Are you serious, Potter?”

Harry flinched at his surname.

“I was trying to protect you,” he whispered.

“Forget it, Potter,”

He turned to walk away again but Harry shouted after him.

“But I love you!”

Draco froze. He steeled himself. He had wanted to hear those words for so long. But not like this.

“I don’t want your sympathy, Potter,” he said, still with his back to Harry. And he walked away, silent tears streaming down his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A million thanks to my beta for turning this chapter from insane emotional rambles to an actual plot.


	9. Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! This update is rather long, it took a long time to get it right.

 

A few days after Harry’s birthday, Harry and the Tonks’ arrived back at the Burrow for another Order meeting and Harry was delighted to see his sister.

“Dora!” he cried as he caught her in a one-armed hug.

“Wotcher, Harry!” she smiled and hugged him. “Have you gotten taller? Who approved this?!”

The foster-siblings laughed and began swapping stories of the months since they had last seen each other.

“I hope you’re not too upset, I know you’re still in a fight with Draco, but I just have to tell you. I found my Mate!”

Harry’s eyes widened. “Who is it?”

“Well, you know those headaches I always got? And then they disappeared your third year?”

Harry nodded.

“Well, what else happened your third year?”

“Uh, Wormtail returned to Voldemort?”

“Before that.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “This will take all day, just tell me!”

“Alright, alright, don’t get your knickers in a twist!” Dora teased. “Turns out those headaches were across the Mate bond, they were his transformations. Remus’ transformations, that is.”

Harry gaped at her. “Lupin? Don’t get me wrong, Dora, he’s a great guy, but isn’t he a bit… old?”

Dora laughed and slapped his arm playfully. “He is not! And besides, it’s not that uncommon for Mates to be different ages.”

“He was a school friend of my father’s!” Harry teased.

Dora just blushed.

“Okay, okay, you want to hear about Horace Slughorn?” Harry asked.

~

The next day, Hermione arrived, shortly followed by all three of their OWL results.

“TEN!” Hermione screamed as she scanned the parchment.

“You?” Ron asked Harry.

“Seven.”

“Cheers, mate, me too!” Ron grinned.

“Didn’t get my O in Potions, though,” Harry complained. “So much for being an auror.”

Ron and Hermione exchanged one of their increasingly annoying looks and Harry got up and left.

~

A few weeks later, Harry, Hermione, the Tonks’, the Weasleys, and Hagrid made their way to Diagon Alley to buy their school supplies.

Draco had gotten so good at avoiding Harry that when Harry walked into Madam Malkin’s to find him standing on the fitting pedestal in the exact same place they had first met five years ago, he gasped aloud.

“What do you want, Potter?” Draco snarled.

This time it was Harry who spun on his heel and ran, his mum hurrying after him.

“Harry, dear,” Andromeda said as she caught up with him. “You can’t run from him forever.”

Harry crossed his arms defiantly. 

“Harry,” she warned. “You need to talk to him.”

“I tried, Mum,” he said. “He won’t talk to me. He’s even shut down the bond as best he can with those Occlumency lessons Snape gave us.”

“Oh, that’s not good,” she tutted.

Harry huffed a sigh. “Can we do textbooks first?”

“Alright, dear, let’s just go fetch your dad.”

~

On the Hogwarts Express, Harry soon figured out just what Slughorn meant when he said that Lily Evans had been one of “his.”

He and Neville were summoned to his compartment for lunch and Harry was thoroughly disappointed that his efforts had brought this man back to Hogwarts.

“So, Harry, I hear you grew up with the Tonks’!”

Harry sunk down into his chair further.

“Yes, sir,” he mumbled.

“Shame, really, I did like your mum, she was going places.”

“Andromeda Tonks is my mum, thanks.”

Slughorn just looked at him with a curious glance and moved on to Neville.

Harry wanted to melt.

~

Draco hated himself. Every time Harry walked past his cabin his eyes instantly snapped up to watch him.

He was sitting with Slytherins Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott, and all were eagerly discussing rumours they had gathered over the summer of the progress of the Death Eaters.

“And just where has your father been, Malfoy?”

“My father’s actions are none of your business,” he snapped at Nott.

“I’d be careful what you say, Malfoy, the Dark Lord trusts the Nott family. He trusts me.”

“Oh really,” Draco sneered. “Trusts you to do what, exactly? Shine his shoes?”

Nott stood and Draco stood to face him.

“Take it back,” he snarled.

“What, did I hurt your feelings?” Draco mocked.

Then Nott swung back one enormous fist and slammed it into Draco’s nose. He heard it crack. As he clutched his bleeding nose, he missed Nott drawing his wand to paralyze him, and he fell to the floor, stiff as a board.

_ I will end you, Nott, _ Draco thought to himself as Crabbe and Goyle clumsily shoved him under the seats on Nott’s command.

They left him there when the train pulled into Hogsmeade and no one noticed him as they disembarked. 

A long few minutes passed and Draco had begun to wonder where the Hogwarts Express went when it was not transporting school children when he heard his name.

“Draco?”

It was Dora Tonks, and Draco almost wished he hadn’t been found at all. She quickly undid the petrifying spell and helped him out from under the seats.

“Oh, that nose looks bad, we should get you to Madame Pomfrey, I’m no good at healing spells,” she said as she examined him.

Draco sighed and followed her up the road to the castle – the carriages had already departed – silently begging her not to talk.

“So, Draco, how’ve you been?”

Draco snorted. “How’ve I been? Not the best opener, Tonks.”

“Well, gotta start somewhere,” she grinned mischievously at him. “How’d you get yourself petrified with a broken nose anyways?”

“Slytherins,” he said simply.

Dora nodded and didn’t press. Slytherins didn’t rat on other Slytherins.

“Gonna continue breaking hearts this year?”

Draco gaped at her.

She laughed and elbowed him playfully. “Yeah, I looked you up. You were quite the player before you dated my brother,” 

Draco just huffed. “That’s none of your business.”

Dora raised her eyebrows but Draco remained silent for the rest of the trek up to the castle.

Madame Pomfrey fixed his nose in a minute and released him to the feast.

By the time he got to the Great Hall, Draco had missed the sorting and introduction of the new Defense against the Dark Arts professor.

As none of the Slytherins seemed to be talking to him, he ate his meal in silence and retired early.

~

Harry was proven wrong about his auror ambitions when Professor McGonagall practically pushed him into Slughorn’s potions room -- he apparently accepted E OWLs -- after finding he and Ron loitering in the hall.

He wasn’t surprised to see Draco, nor surprised to find himself ignored as he entered. But it still hurt. He pushed down the urge to run across the room to his Mate and instead forced himself to raise his hand.

“Professor Slughorn?”

“Yes, Mr. Potter?”

“Ron and I don’t have textbooks, as we weren’t sure that we would be taking Potions this year.”

“Of course, of course, there should be some extras in that cabinet.”

Harry and Ron found two books in the storage cupboard and Ron quickly grabbed the new one, leaving Harry with the used, scribbled-in copy.

“Bollocks,” he mumbled as he made his way back to his seat.

“Now that we all have books,” Professor Slughorn smiled, “Today we will be brewing the Draught of Living Death. The best potion will win its maker this bottle of Felix Felicis, also known as ‘Liquid Luck.’”

Hermione gasped, many of the class whispered excitedly, and everyone got to work.

~

Draco stoppered his sample of the Draught of Living Death with a sigh. It was alright but he didn’t think he’d be winning the Liquid Luck.

Then Professor Slughorn announced to everyone’s surprise that Harry Potter had made the best potion.

The Slytherins immediately started whispering cruelly as the Gryffindors huddled around Harry to excitedly ask what he would use it for.

Draco just packed up his bag and left.

~

Months passed like this, Draco skulking in the back of classrooms, ignoring everyone, and throwing himself into his studies. He had NEWTs next year, after all, he told himself, there was no time to be moping about a breakup.

But when Christmas rolled around and rumours started flying about who Harry Potter would be taking to Professor Slughorn’s Christmas party, Draco started to feel the familiar pang of jealousy.

“I heard Romilda Vane was going to slip him a love potion.”

“Well I heard he’s going stag.”

“No way, he’s got to bring someone.”

“He’s taking Luna Lovegood!”

“No!”

“Yes! Ginny Weasley’s just told me!”

Draco hunched down further into the book he was reading and hoped no one could see his jealous blush.

Once the group of fourth years had passed, Draco gathered up his things and headed down to the lake. He walked along the shore and kicked at pebbles. 

Why did this bother him so much? He had dumped Harry for a reason!

Harry had betrayed him. He had left him behind. And he didn’t think of him when he did it. He was a selfish prat. 

But did Draco really want to break his Mate bond? Did he want to let this fight ruin the one chance he had with Harry? 

And what did Harry want? Draco had avoided him ever since their fight in the Burrow. When Harry had said he loved him…

Was it true? Was there a way to find out?

~

At Slughorn’s Christmas party, Harry was having a decent time with Luna, but Hermione was miserable.

She had invited Cormac McLaggen – mostly to make Ron jealous – and he was horribly boring.

The party took a decided turn, however, when Draco was hauled in by Filch.

“Found him lurking in the hallway,” he growled.

“Let go of me!”

“Ah, Mr. Filch, I’m sure no harm was meant.” Slughorn glided over.

Filch snarled and released Draco, who indignantly straightened his robes.

“I do apologize for not inviting you, Mr. Malfoy, won’t you please come have a drink with me?”

“Sorry, Professor, I should be going,” Draco mumbled, overtly aware of every eye on him.

“Alright,” Slughorn frowned. “Well, I’ll see you in class then.”

As Draco left and the party ramped up again, no one except Harry noticed Snape slide out. Naturally, he followed them.

“Mr. Malfoy, get control of yourself!”

Harry stopped in his tracks and hid in an alcove. Was Draco… crying?

“You are a better man than this. Get ahold of yourself. You ended this ill-fated relationship. Now deal with the consequences!”

Draco was speaking now, so quietly that Harry couldn’t hear, and he tentatively moved closer.

“I don’t care what your reasons are. Surely you knew the side-effects of breaking off a Mate relationship. Handle it.”

Harry inched still closer and promptly tripped, landing splayed on the stone floor not six feet from his Mate.

“This is all your fault!” Draco yelled at him, then spun on his heel and walked swiftly away, his robes billowing behind him.

~

Harry took the strange interaction at the Christmas party as a sign -- correct or not -- that he still had a chance with Draco. He decided to arrange an accidental meeting.

He began tracking Draco on the Marauder’s Map. He quickly realized that Draco was slipping off regularly to the Room of Requirement, and Harry became insanely curious about what Draco was doing in there.

However, his careful watching was continuously interrupted by Ron bemoaning his failing relationship with Lavender Brown and Hermione being mad at Ron, so he couldn’t seem to find time to follow him there.

When he finally did get a chance to try to enter the Room of Requirement, he had no success since he had no idea what Draco was using it for.

~

Draco was losing control of the situation. He spent every moment pining over Harry like he had at the beginning of fifth year, and more often than not he had to excuse himself when Harry entered a room to avoid doing something he would regret, like smacking him in front of the entire school. Or possibly kissing him. 

He still didn’t have an answer to his question and was no closer to figuring it out when Harry locked eyes with him in a corridor.

Draco ran. He hid in a bathroom stall and tried to breathe.

“Draco?”

Shit, Harry had followed him.

“Go away, Potter,” he spat. 

“Draco, please, come out and talk to me.”

Draco drew his wand and opened the door, shouting “Petrificus Totalus!”

“Protego!”

Harry and Draco squared off. 

“Draco, talk to me,” Harry begged again. 

Again, Draco shouted a hex and Harry blocked it. 

“Levicorpus!” Harry shouted, and Draco felt himself rising up in the air. “You don’t want to do this! Please, just talk to me!”

“Stupify!” Draco yelled, but suspended as he was, the curse missed and shattered a mirror behind Harry. In the moment that Harry was distracted, Draco cast a stinging hex straight at his Mate, hitting him square in the face.

And then Harry used a curse he’d never heard before and his vision went white as he fell.

~

“Sectumsempra!”

Harry had said it out of frustration. He hadn’t thought about what it would do. And now he was lying on the floor, bleeding from identical cuts that he had inflicted on his Mate, lying several feet away. His cuts were trying desperately to scar over like Mate injuries are meant to do, but the curse was too strong.

Harry crawled across the bathroom floor towards Draco, reaching his hand out for his Mate. His cuts weren’t healing at all, but bleeding freely. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Harry whispered reverently and he clutched his hand. “I love you, Draco.”

His vision began to tunnel. 

_ Well, at least we’re together, _ Harry thought before he blacked out.

~

Draco woke up in the hospital wing for the second time in a year in a bed next to Harry’s with matching injuries.

“This is ridiculous,” Draco sighed.

“Agreed,” said Harry from the other bed.

Draco jumped. “Oh, you’re awake.”

“Yeah,” Harry said. “I’m sorry. Again. For everything.”

“What the bloody hell did you curse me with?” Draco replied.

“I found it in a book. Well, it’s written into the margin of my potions book. It’s a used copy.”

“And you trusted the previous owner, did you?”

“Not anymore,” Harry whispered. “Dray, I am so sorry. Please, tell me what I can do to get you to forgive me.”

Draco stared at the ceiling. 

“Draco, please,” Harry said. “I love you. I will do  _ anything _ . Just tell me, please. What can I do?”

He continued to stare upwards for a moment, then looked over at his Mate. Harry’s eyes were brimming with tears. At least he had that answer. Harry did love him.

“Please,” he whispered.

“I’ll think about it,” Draco conceded.

Harry smiled so brightly through his tears that Draco considered forgiving him right then and there, but he just smiled back.


	10. War

Harry began writing Draco letters. In a way they were apologies, but really they were love letters.

He told him about his lessons with Dumbledore, the hunt for the horcruxes, and his paralyzing fear that Draco would never forgive him for leaving him behind.

He didn’t send them but stowed each one lovingly in the bottom of his trunk.

~

Draco saw Harry in classes and at meals, but they agreed to keep their distance to maintain the illusion they had been keeping for nearly six years. Still, Draco couldn’t help but smile at Harry when he entered a classroom.

He hadn’t entirely forgiven Harry, but he did love him.

Over the course of their sixth year, Draco had learned to ignore the stretching of the bond that meant Harry was again off school grounds. A couple of weeks after their duel, he felt the bond stretching again and found himself more worried than mad. He made his decision. He would talk to Harry when he returned. He would not let this bond break.

He was sitting in the Slytherin common room, trying to keep his mind off Harry, when he overheard Nott bragging about his plan being complete. Draco was curious and with nothing better to do until Harry returned, he followed him up to the astronomy tower.

He saw him cast the Dark Mark. He saw him hide in the shadows. What the bloody hell was he up to?

But nothing prepared him for what came next.

Harry and Dumbledore flew over the parapet on brooms and Draco clapped his hand over his mouth to prevent from crying out to his Mate.

He watched in horror as Dumbledore paralyzed and hid Harry under his own invisibility cloak, then prepared to duel Nott.

Draco slid through the shadows until he was beside Harry.

“It’s me,” he whispered and then settled in to watch, wand drawn to protect himself and Harry.

~

Harry was furious. Dumbledore had trusted him enough to take him hunting for horcruxes, but had hidden and paralyzed him in his own school!

As he watched a Slytherin he couldn’t name slip out of the shadows and disarm Dumbledore, he felt someone beside him.

“It’s me,” came a voice he knew well. What was Draco doing up here? He saw him draw his wand and flicked his attention back to the spectacle before them.

Dumbledore revealed that he had known Nott was attempting to kill him, but allowed him to remain at Hogwarts because he knew that Voldemort would have murdered Nott once his cover had been blown.

Harry would have gasped if he had not been petrified. He felt Draco stiffen beside him.

Dumbledore tried to persuade him to change sides, but masked Death Eaters emerged out of the shadows and began urging him to finish the deed.

“Kill him!”

“Do it!”

“The Dark Lord has faith in you!”

Still, Nott did not cast the spell.

Suddenly, Snape was before Dumbledore. Where had he come from?

“Avada Kadavra!”

Dumbledore fell. He tripped backwards, tipping over the parapet and falling to the ground with a sick, slow-motion grace.

~

Draco felt Harry’s spell release with a rustle of fabric and knew instantly that Dumbledore was truly dead. He felt a brush against his arm and realized that Harry was going to do something stupid. He grabbed at the air and secured his arms around Harry’s invisible waist.

“Let me go!” Harry whispered angrily.

“No! He’s dead! You can’t do anything!”

The Death Eaters were making a quick exit now that the deed had been done.

Draco continued holding Harry until they watched Snape and Nott leave the grounds with the rest of the Death Eaters, when he finally released him.

Then Draco sank down to the floor, numb.

~

“Draco?”

Harry felt his Mate release him and whipped off the invisibility cloak. Turning around, he saw Draco slumped against the wall, head in his hands.

“Dray?” Harry asked softly, crouching next to him.

“I knew he was up to something. But this?” Draco muttered.

Harry reached out tentatively and placed a hand on Draco’s shoulder. “You couldn’t have known.”

“I should have!” Draco looked up suddenly, tears in his eyes. “I could have stopped it! I heard Nott bragging about all his stupid plans! I should have done something!”

“You heard Dumbledore,” Harry said. “He knew. He didn’t stop it. He must have had his reasons.”

Draco just stared at him.

~

After a moment, Harry reached a hand down to him and Draco grasped it, allowing his Mate to pull him to his feet and lead him by the hand down the stairs. Draco numbly followed Harry through the school and out onto the grounds where Dumbledore’s frail body lay on the ground. He watched Harry remove something from Dumbledore’s pocket and tuck it into his own.

“What was that?”

“It’s where I was tonight,” he said simply. He linked his hand back in Draco’s and led him away from the body of their Headmaster.

Harry next made his way to the hospital wing, dropping Draco’s hand only at the last moment, where they found a large gathering of people, including the Weasley’s, the Tonks’, and many other Order members in various states of injury.

Harry hugged each of them in turn, relaying the news to each in a whisper, before turning to look back at Draco.

Draco knew this was the moment. He crossed the hospital wing to Harry’s side and linked his fingers through his Mate’s.

~

At Dumbledore’s funeral, Draco stood by Harry’s side, respectfully distant in this time of grief. He took a deep breath and reopened the Mate bond, dropping all his Occlumency barriers.

He felt the grief flood through from Harry’s mind. He tried to send comfort back. He knew it wasn’t enough.

~

After the funeral, Harry sat down with Draco, Hermione, and Ron.

“I’m not coming back for my seventh year.”

“What?”

“Harry, no!”

“Why?”

All three had spoken at once.

“The hunt isn’t over. There are more horcruxes. I have to finish what Dumbledore started.”

Hermione leapt to her feet and hugged him. “I’ll come with you!”

“Me, too, mate,” Ron said.

“Oi, you’re not going off without me again!” Draco protested.

Hermione released Harry and he walked to his Mate, taking his hands and looking into his eyes.

“Draco, I need you here,” Harry said softly. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small wrapped package. “I have something for you.”

Draco stared at him in disbelief before tearing into the package. He found a small mirror and looked back up at his Mate.

“It’s a set. Say my name into yours and I’ll see you in mine. We can stay in constant contact. I need to know what’s going on here and I need someone I trust to tell me.”

Draco stared a moment longer. “Why me?”

“Draco, you can get places Ron and Hermione can’t. You can be my eyes and ears inside this castle, and you can protect yourself both physically and against Legilimency. It has to be you.”

“They’ll kill me,” he whispered.

“No. You’re stronger than you think, Draco.”

Harry looked into his Mate’s eyes a moment longer, then withdrew a packet of parchment and a book.

“And you’ll have help. The top two are letters for Seamus and Ginny. They’ll tell them everything they need to know and nothing more. They’ll see that you have all the protection you need. The rest are for you. It’s everything I ever wanted to tell you. And my potions book. Destroy it, will you?”

Draco took the packet and book and wordlessly stowed them inside his robes.

“Don’t… don’t die, alright?” Draco said through a watery smile.

“You neither. I love you, Draco Malfoy,” Harry said. “Always have, always will.”

“I love you, too,” Draco whispered.

Harry gently brushed away the tears threatening at the corners of Draco’s eyes and pulled him in for a kiss.

~

Draco returned to Malfoy Manor after the school year was over. He and his parents refortified the manor and packed up what they could, then Draco and Narcissa fled to an Unplottable summer home they kept in the country, leaving Lucius to put their plan into action.

Lucius went to his sister-in-law.

“Lucius darling, so good to see you at last! To what do I owe the pleasure?” Bellatrix grinned maliciously.

“I need your help,” he admitted. 

“Oooh!” Bellatrix squealed, clapping her hands.

“I’ve made a horrible mistake. I need you to help me get an audience with the Dark Lord.”

~

Once he and his mother were settled, Draco finally took out the things Harry had left him.

He read each of the letters Harry had written him and put together what his Mate had been doing. How could Dumbledore be so reckless? He was only a boy!

Finally, he picked up the potions book. Harry had said to destroy it. Draco couldn’t blame him exactly, the book had taught him the nearly fatal curse he had used on Draco, but it also had a lot of knowledge to share, as Harry’s letters had explained.

He flipped through a few pages then stopped, staring at the writing in the margins. Could it be?

Draco reached into his trunk and pulled out an advanced potions book Professor Snape had given him for his birthday and flipped it open to the inscription.

Yes, they were the same writing.

It wasn’t the writing Snape wrote on the chalkboard with – that standard, formal writing – but a looser, more casual note that exactly matched the markings in the textbook.

Professor Snape was the Half-Blood Prince!

He unwrapped the two-way mirror and said, “Harry!”

A moment passed before Harry’s face appeared on the surface.

“Hullo, Dray,” he smiled.

“I just figured it out! Snape is the Half-Blood Prince!”

“What!?”

Draco walked him through the process, holding up the inscription in his book as proof.

“I don’t know what to do about this,” Harry confessed.

“Let me talk with my father, maybe he has some ideas.”

“Alright. Listen, Draco, I gotta go, Bill’s wedding is tomorrow and Mrs. Weasley is keeping us all really busy.”

“Okay. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

~

Lucius returned that evening exhausted but victorious.

“They bought it,” he said. His wife heaved a sigh of relief.

“Father, I need to ask you something,” Draco said.

“Can’t it wait until morning, Draco?”

“Of course, Father.”

~

After fleeing the wedding, Harry, Hermione and Ron recovered at 12 Grimmauld Place.

Harry took out his mirror to check in with his Mate.

“Draco?”

“Oh thank Merlin!” comes the immediate response. “I’ve been trying to reach you for hours! What happened?”

“The ministry has fallen. Are you somewhere safe?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Stay there.”

“This is killing me,” Draco sighed. “I should be with you.”

“I know. Soon.”

~

Draco returned to Hogwarts for his seventh year under the harsh rule of Headmaster Snape. Snape had been his Head of House. His mentor. But he had written that awful spell. He had killed Dumbledore.

His father trusted him. Said he was still a member of the Order.

Draco didn’t know what to believe. 

~

Harry, Hermione, and Ron were still at the old Black house on Grimmauld Place when Lupin came to visit. He looked more disheveled than he had in months, and had something of a revelation to share.

“Dora’s pregnant.”

Harry gaped at him.

“Pregnant? I’m gonna be an uncle? You’re gonna be a father! Congrats!” Harry made to hug him but Remus flinched. “What’s wrong?”

“I’ve come to help you.”

“Oh no you don’t, you are going home and taking care of my sister,” Harry crossed his arms.

“Harry, you don’t understand. What if he’s… like me?”

“So? He’s still your kid!” Harry took him by the shoulders and turned him around, pushing him towards the door. “And he’s my nephew! And if you abandon him and my sister, it’ll be more than your son’s werewolf status that you have to worry about! Now go!”

“You’re a good man, Harry Potter.”

Reluctantly, Remus left.

~

Draco was in the Room of Requirement with the other DA members when he heard it.

Lee Jordan’s voice sounded over their contraband radio. 

"Let's take a moment to report those deaths that the Wizarding Wireless Network News and Daily Prophet don't think important enough to mention. It is with great regret that we inform our listeners of the murders of Ted Tonks and Dirk Cresswell."

“No,” Draco whispered.

He had known that Harry’s dad had been on the run but had hoped this wouldn’t happen. He knew Harry heard it too from the pulse of grief across their bond.

Draco let the grief fill him, coming in horrible pulses across the country from his Mate, somewhere out there, sobbing his grief at the loss of his adoptive father.

Draco let his own tears flow and took out his mirror. He wouldn’t call Harry yet, he would wait. But he would be ready when Harry was. 

Never had he wished he could be there for him more.

~

One night, Harry was sitting watch at he and Hermione’s camp site when a patronus approached him.

Harry cautiously followed it through the woods, finally reaching a frozen pond at the bottom of which lay – no, could it be? The sword of Godric Gryffindor.

Harry quickly stripped to his pants and dove into the water, but when he got close, he realized he had forgotten about the Horcrux locket around his neck which was now attempting to strangle him. 

As his vision tunneled and he felt Death embrace him, he silently apologized to Draco, trying desperately to send his love across the Mate bond. He wished he was there with him. 

~

Draco had felt Harry’s emotions spike all year – his fights against Snatchers, Horcruxes, and once near-drowning – and kept up the fight inside Hogwarts against the tyranny of Snape and the Carrow siblings. He was living full-time in the Room of Requirement with many of the DA members as his dorm wasn’t safe.

He had kept his calm, relying on his aristocratic manners to get him out of tight situations with the Death Eater professors, Snape, and fellow students. Only a very few even knew that he and Harry were Soulmates. Snape knew, but he hadn’t told Voldemort. Draco tentatively trusted him.

One evening, Draco felt the bond shorten quickly and inferred that Harry had apparated somewhere nearby. So when Ariana Dumbledore appeared in her portrait on the wall of the Room of Requirement, Draco knew exactly what it meant and jumped to his feet to follow her to Aberforth’s home.

~

Harry was having trouble following the thread of the conversation in Aberforth’s sitting room; his eyes were drawn to the empty portrait on the wall. He felt like something very important was going to happen. He felt what he thought was Draco’s excitement coming from up at the school.

When two figures appeared back in the portrait, Harry jumped to his feet and watched as Ariana led Draco into the sitting room. The portrait swung open and there he was.

Harry ran across the room and hurled his arms around his Soulmate, kissing him squarely on the mouth and cutting off whatever witty one-liner Draco had been trying to spout.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” Harry smiled.

“Miss me?”

“Prat.”

~

Back at the castle, Harry explained what he needed to the DA.

Luna was the first with an idea. “What about Rowena Ravenclaw’s Lost Diadem?”

“It’s  _ lost _ ,” Draco snorted.

“Perhaps,” Luna said dreamily.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading a reviewing!   
> The next update may be a few days as my beta is on vacation, but it will come, never you fear!


	11. Battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a few days became like 10 days since I came down with the flu on Monday right when my beta got back from vacation and writing through fever hallucinations is not advisable. But we've made it! The final battle!

Draco made his allegiance known when his once-best-friend Pansy Parkinson called for Harry to be taken to Voldemort in front of the entire school. He stood at his Mate’s side.

~

Draco wasn’t really following Harry’s train of thought as he rambled, clearly more was happening in his brain than was coming out of his mouth, but he trusted him and followed him through the winding halls.

They found Hermione and Ron who had _finally_ realized they were Soulmates – “Took them long enough,” Draco muttered – and Harry explained what they were looking for in the Room of Requirement.

“Ginny, you’ll have to wait outside for a few minutes,” Harry explained to the grumpy sixteen-year-old forbidden from joining the battle.

“Yes!” she cried as her face lit up and she took off.

“But you have to come back!” Harry called after her.

“Good luck with that, mate,” Ron mumbled.

“Mrs. Weasley is gonna kill me,” Harry groaned. “Okay, we’ll find her later. For now, we need the place where everything is hidden.”

Harry began pacing in front of the Room of Requirement’s stubbornly blank wall and Draco could feel the desperate energy rolling off of his Mate.

~

“HARRY IF WE DIE FOR THEM I’LL KILL YOU!” Ron screamed, but loyally followed Harry back into the fire to rescue Nott, Crabbe, and Goyle.

“Hold tight!” Harry yelled over his shoulder at Draco as he directed his broom in a hairpin turn and reached out an arm to grasp Nott and haul him up on the broom behind Draco.

The laden broom sped towards the exit, following Ron, Hermione, and the semiconscious Goyle.

“Where’s Crabbe?” Nott whined when they had landed in the corridor.

“Dead, I imagine,” Ron said. “I would be sorry but he did try to take all of us with him.”

Draco pushed in front of Harry and sneered at the two bedraggled Slytherins before him.

“Get. Out.”

Nott turned and ran, Goyle close on his heels.

“Harry, what’s on your arm?” Hermione asked.

“Oh!” Harry pulled the blackened tiara from his forearm and all four watched as it began to ooze a black tar-like substance and disintegrated before their eyes.

“Fiendfyre!” Hermione exclaimed. At the confused looks on the four boys’ faces, she continued. “It’s one of the ways to destroy Horcruxes, but I would never dare use it, it’s so dangerous. I wonder where Crabbe learned.”

“Probably from the Carrows,” Draco mumbled. All three turned to stare at him. He just shrugged.

“Not the time,” Harry finally said.

“Right,” Ron agreed. “Where now?”

They were interrupted by the sounds of an approaching duel and all four raised their wands.

~

Draco couldn’t see. He couldn’t hear. He wasn’t sure he was even alive except for the pain radiating through his body.

Slowly, his ears began to ring. He heard voices.

“Draco!” Someone was looking for him. He should tell them where he was.

But he couldn’t raise his arm. He couldn’t even open his eyes.

“Dray!” The voice was nearer now. He could hear others crying, mourning over lost loved ones, but his eyes remained stubbornly shut.

He felt heat close to his face and then a forehead bumped his.

“Draco, please be alive,” Draco felt fingers pressed against his neck. “Please, don’t leave me like this.” The voice was a whisper but his ears picked it up even amidst the dull roar of the battle raging outside.

Finally, his eyes obeyed him and fluttered open.

“Oh thank Merlin,” Harry’s eyes came into focus above him. “Let’s get you out of here.”

Harry lifted him to his feet and looped an arm around his waist. Then he placed Draco’s arm around his own neck, and started down the hallway.

“Harry, in here!”

Draco clung tight to his Mate as they stumbled into the hidden passageway.

Draco was fading in and out of consciousness, not following the train of conversation, but he felt himself be transferred to Ron’s hold and watched numbly as Harry’s face went blank.

~

Harry came back to his body.

“He’s in the shrieking shack. Your dad’s there, Draco.”

~

Draco came back to himself some time later in the Great Hall. He was shoved unceremoniously against a wall on a meager cot someone had summoned.

Harry was nowhere to be seen.

“Harry?” He asked the air. “Harry?” he said louder.

Suddenly Hermione was above him, smoothing his hair back from his forehead.

“I’ve never been so happy to see your face, Granger,” Draco joked, but his face fell when she didn’t smile.

“He’s not here, Draco.”

“Where is he?” Draco heard his voice break.

“I don’t know.”

~

In fact, Harry was at that moment just outside the Great Hall. He had been racing through the castle under his Invisibility Cloak once he realized what Snape’s memories told him. He saw Neville and stopped to explain one last thing.

“Kill the snake?” Neville asked.

“Kill the snake,” Harry said, then covered himself in his cloak again and staggered towards the forest.

He couldn’t stop to say goodbye. There wasn’t time. This trip into the forest would be his last and no one could accompany him.

The snitch was caught. The game was over.

The snitch!

Harry pulled the snitch Dumbledore had left him from his pocket and read the inscription one last time.

_I open at the close_.

“I am about to die,” Harry said aloud, then he kissed the snitch.

The tiny orb cracked open and a small stone was revealed.

He knew what to do.

~

“Draco, no, lay down, you can’t do anything now!”

“He’s gone to hand himself in!” Draco shouted, fighting against Hermione.

“He wouldn’t,” she said again. “Not without saying goodbye.”

But Draco could see she, too, was fighting back tears.

“No, I know he did, I can feel it!” he touched his forehead. “I can feel it here!”

He rubbed frantically at the makeup covering his scar.

Hermione stilled his hand.

She drew her wand and cleaned the makeup off his forehead with a whispered charm.

“It’s there, it’s still there,” Hermione whispered. “He’s alright. He’ll be back.”

~

“I’ve got to go back, don’t I?” Harry asked Dumbledore. He was reluctant to leave this peace. This space without fear and pain. This simple existence.

“That is up to you.”

Up to him? What would he go back to?

A destroyed school. A world in need of rebuilding. Dead friends.

“I’ve got a choice?”

“Oh yes.”

Suddenly faces flooded his mind. Dora. Teddy. His mum.

Draco.

He would always choose Draco.

~

Draco was lying in the Great Hall obsessively tracing the lightning bolt scar on his forehead.

As long as it was there, Harry was alive. As long as it was there, Draco would survive.

Suddenly, he felt a tingle trickle down from the top of his head and creep along his skin.

“No,” he whispered. “No! NO, HARRY, NO!” He was shouting now but he didn’t care who heard him.

Hermione was back at his side immediately.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

Draco lifted his fingers from his forehead where once there had been a lightning bolt scar.

Hermione screamed.

Draco sat up and wrapped his arms around Hermione, hugging her tightly as he absorbed the shock.

She hugged him back fiercely. “I’m so sorry, Draco,” she murmured. “I’m so, so sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry,” he said. “He was your friend first.”

Hermione removed herself from Draco’s arms. She shook her head slowly.

“You just lost your Soulmate,” she said.

Draco lost it. Tears began flowing from his eyes, his breath quickened, and soon he was sobbing freely in Hermione’s arms.  

~

Harry felt his body fall to the ground. He forced himself to lay perfectly still.

He immediately reached for the Soulmate bond but couldn’t find it.

_No! I was only gone a second!_

He thought of Draco’s face, he thought of every memory he could summon, trying to reestablish the bond he had chosen when he walked away from Kings Cross.

“You,” he heard Voldemort rasp, shaking him out of his panic. “Examine him. Tell me whether he is dead.”

Harry forced himself to hold perfectly still and held his breath as someone approached him.

Narcissa Malfoy’s voice sounded in his ear.

“Is Draco alive? Is he in the castle?”

Harry was shook by a thought. Did he know that Draco was alive? Was that why he couldn’t feel the bond? Had Draco died?

“Yes,” Harry breathed. He tried to believe it.

“He is dead!” She announced.

He focused all of his mental energy on reconnecting to Draco and ignored the taunts and abuse directed at his body. He ignored being carried away, his body remaining limp in Hagrid’s arms as enormous tears fell from his bearded face.

He only thought of Draco.

~

Draco hobbled up to the front of the crowd watching the strange procession approaching the castle. At first, his eyes didn’t register what he was seeing.

Then he saw that Hagrid wasn’t empty-handed. He held the limp body of Draco’s Soulmate.

“Put him on the ground, at my feet where he belongs!” bellowed Voldemort.

Draco tried in vain to hold back tears. He felt all the fight go out of him as Voldemort made a grandiose speech. The world as he knew it was over. Harry Potter was dead.

Then chaos reigned again as the battle began anew and Hogwarts wizards and Death Eaters alike were forced back into the castle.

Draco lost himself in the shadows, feeling nothing but emptiness.

Then he felt hands on his arms.

“Draco!”

Draco forced his eyes to focus on the person in front of him. His mother’s face was tear-stained but smiling.

“Hello, Mother,” Draco intoned habitually. “Harry’s dead.”

“No, my love!” she said. “He’s alive!”

“Mother, I saw him,” Draco shook his head. “I felt the bond break. He’s dead.”

“No, he’s alive, I spoke to him, he told me you were alive, I lied to the Dark Lord! He’s _alive!_ ”

She certainly seemed to believe it. But if he was alive, where was the Mate bond? Draco searched his mind for traces of his connection to his Mate but felt nothing.

Then suddenly everyone was screaming again, this time cries of joy.

“Harry!”

“He’s alive!”

Draco searched the crowd and soon he could see him as everyone backed away from The Boy Who Lived and He Who Must Not Be Named squared off for a duel.

His heart raced as his eyes took in every detail of his living, breathing Soulmate. His Harry.

But still, Draco could not feel the bond.

~

As Harry and Voldemort circled each other, Harry searched the crowd for Draco but couldn’t find the white-blond head of his Mate.

Instead he focused on finishing Voldemort so he could find Draco. He barely registered what he was saying. He just kept talking. He goaded Voldemort on. He hit all of his deepest fears until he could practically taste the curse on the air.

Just as the sun broke the horizon, Harry and Voldemort cast at the same time.

_“Expelliarmus!”_

_“Avada Kedavra!”_

Just as they had done before, the spells collided.

And just as they had before, Harry’s disarmament charm overpowered Voldemort’s killing curse.

Harry caught the disarmed Elder Wand as it flew through the air to its true master, and heard the body of Lord Voldemort fall dead to the floor with a satisfying _thump_.

Immediately he was swarmed with friends, but he could not find the one face he craved.

And he still could not feel the bond.

~

Draco watched as Harry was passed from hand to hand around the room, expressing condolences and sharing in celebrations. He never let him out of his sight, always hidden in the shadows with his parents, until suddenly he was gone.

“Dammit, Harry, where’d you go?” Draco mumbled to himself.

Then he felt a hand close around his wrist.

“It’s me,” whispered a voice. “Come with me.”

Draco gratefully obliged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be one more update for ALL the feels, so look forward to that.  
> Thanks for reading! Please continue to review! I love you all!


	12. After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, we've made it to the end! Enjoy! (you may want to get some tissues first)

Harry guided Draco by the wrist out of the Great Hall and into an empty classroom, then let go. He hadn’t yet looked at him. He was scared to.

“Harry? Are you there?” Draco asked.

Harry took a deep breath, pulled off the invisibility cloak, and turned to meet Draco’s eyes.

The moment they locked eyes the Soulmate bond seemed to flare back to life. Draco’s emotions poured into Harry’s mind and he knew his own were rushing into Draco’s mind as well.

Harry’s heart was racing, and he felt tears falling unbidden from his eyes as everything began to make sense again.

Draco laughed, a short bark of a laugh that was mostly relief, and closed the distance between their bodies to grip Harry in a tight embrace.

“It’s you, it’s really you,” Draco whispered into Harry’s shoulder.

“Of course it’s me,” Harry said. “Who else would I be?”

“I don’t know, I just… I didn’t understand why the bond broke. And I was so scared.”

Harry hugged him tighter. “I was scared, too. I died.”

Draco gasped.

“Shh, it’s alright,” Harry rubbed his Mate’s back. “I chose life. I chose you, Dray. I’ll always choose you.”

Harry loosened the embrace and looked into Draco’s watery silver eyes. “I was the seventh horcrux. It wasn’t intentional, but Voldemort was so damaged when he tried to kill me as a baby that part of his soul fractured off and attached to me. It’s the source of our connection.”

“Oh, that makes so much sense!”

Harry smiled and continued. “But then when he used my blood to regain his body in the graveyard, he tied our lives together. So I was tethered to life – to his life – in a way that meant I could come back when he killed me. But I left the Horcrux behind. It’s gone. I’m just Harry now.”

“Did you know you would come back?” Draco asked.

“No,” Harry admitted with a grimace. “I knew he had to kill me to kill the Horcrux inside me and that then he could be killed. I knew I had to die to save all of you. To save you, Draco.”

“And you didn’t think it was worth saying goodbye?!” Draco said louder than he had intended to.

“I’m sorry, Draco. I didn’t have time. By the time I realized what had to be done… You would have tried to stop me, you and Ron and Hermione, I know you would, and it had to be done, and done soon, or the killing would resume and I couldn’t let that happen.” A tear fell from Harry’s eye. “And if I had seen you… I wouldn’t want to go.”

“There was no other way?” Draco asked quietly.

“No. This was the only way.”

Draco nodded, processing everything he had just learned.

“When I died,” Harry continued, “Dumbledore was there. He told me about the second connection, the blood connection, and that it meant I could go back if I wanted to. And I wanted to. I wanted to come back to you. And Dora and Teddy and my mum and Ron and Hermione and everyone.”

Draco gasped.

“What?”

“You don’t know,” Draco said, clapping a hand over his mouth.

“I don’t know  _ what _ ? What happened?” Harry asked.

Draco shook his head, his eyes wide and full of fear.

“Draco just tell me!”

“It’s, it’s Dora, she—“

Harry took off, wrenching the door of the empty classroom open and racing into the Great Hall.

“Dora? Dora, where are you?” he cried.

Draco caught up with him and gently led him to the row of bodies under sheets on one side of the Hall.

Harry looked at his Mate with a stricken look. “No…”

“I’m so sorry, Harry,” Draco said, still holding tight to Harry’s hand.

“Where?”

Draco pointed.

Harry moved mechanically to his sister’s body and knelt at her head without lifting the sheet.

“I never wanted this,” Harry told her inert form. “I never wanted anyone to die for me. Not you, Dora. Not when you just had your son. Not now. Not ever.”

Draco watched helplessly as Harry mourned over his sister, then knelt down beside him and pulled him into another hug.

After several moments, Harry wiped his eyes on the back of his hand and turned to look at Draco. “Remus?”

Draco just shook his head.

“Mum is not going to be happy,” Harry attempted to joke but just began to cry anew. Draco held him and stroked his hair.

~

The next day, cleanup was well underway and preparations were being made for funerals. Injured witches and wizards who couldn’t be cared for in a semi-destroyed school with only one medi-witch were transferred to St. Mungo’s. The remaining Death Eaters who hadn’t given themselves up were being tracked down.

Harry had been debriefed by the Minister of Magic Pro Tempora Kingsley Shacklebolt about everything that had happened in the forest and after. He finally had a chance to explain everything to Ron and Hermione.

Now he was all Draco’s.

Draco was nestled against his Mate under a large tree on the grounds, strangely quiet after the castle.

“I love you,” he said.

“I love you, too,” Harry replied with a smile.

“I’ve loved you since I was five years old,” Draco said.

“Five? I thought your parents told you who I was when you were 11?”

“They did, but five was when…” he trailed off.

“The Dursley’s,” Harry finished.

“Yeah,” Draco sighed, then began to tell the story.

“I covered my scar,” Draco said. “My mum told me it was to keep my face pretty, didn’t tell me the real reason until I was going to Hogwarts, but I started getting other scars. I asked my mum if I had to cover them, too.”

“You were the anonymous tip-off,” Harry said in an awed tone.

“My father went to some ministry friends of his and they made a false trail so no one would know.”

“But why did it have to be a secret?”

“They thought I was too young,” Draco said with a long-suffering sigh. “And that it would protect me somehow. That’s why they do everything. To protect me.”

“Your parents love you, Dray,” Harry soothed. “They did what they thought was right.”

“I know,” Draco sighed.

“So what’s next?” Draco asked finally.

“I have absolutely no idea,” Harry laughed.

Draco smiled. It was good to hear his Mate laugh again.

~

FIVE YEARS LATER

~

“Happy birthday, favorite nephew!”

“I’m your only nephew!” Teddy pouted.

Harry ruffled his hair. “Blond today, huh? Thought you’d go with something bright for your party.”

“Uncle Draco helped me get dressed and he said it looked good on me,” Teddy preened.

Harry smiled. “And where is your Uncle?”

“Kitchen with Grandma,” Teddy said.

Harry ruffled his hair again and sent him on his way.

He entered the kitchen to find his mum humming over a bubbling pot and Draco mixing cake batter. He wrapped his arms around his Soulmate’s waist and nestled his head between his shoulder blades.

“Good morning, sleepy head,” Draco said without turning around. “Nice to see you finally awake.”

Harry hummed happily. 

“Guests are arriving in two hours, go eat some breakfast.”

Harry hummed again in response and wandered over to his mum, giving her a kiss on her cheek before making himself breakfast. 

~ 

Harry caught Teddy as he ran by chasing three-year-old Victoire Weasley and swung him up into the air. 

“Hold up, there, Ted, it’s cake time!”

“Cake!” Teddy clapped his hands from his perch on Harry’s hip.

“You’re getting too big for this you know,” Harry teased. 

“I’m only five!”

“That you are,” Harry said, placing Teddy on a chair at the head of the table in front of the lavishly decorated cake Draco had made. Teddy’s eyes went wide as Harry dimmed the lights and began to direct the song.

“Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday, dear Teddy,

Happy birthday to you!”

“Make a wish!” Harry said.

Teddy closed his eyes tight and was silent for a moment, then opened his eyes and blew out all five candles with a single breath. 

Everyone applauded and Draco swooped in with a knife to cut the cake. Molly Weasley helped plate and pass and soon the room was full of chattering friends and family eating cake and sharing stories once again. 

Draco was lying with his feet in Harry’s lap as they chatted with Ginny, Neville, Ron, and Hermione. They were all discussing Fleur’s new pregnancy and speculating who would be the next Weasley to start having babies, when Teddy raced by again followed by a giggling Victoire. 

“Be careful, Teddy,” Harry called after his nephew. 

But just as he said it, Victoire tripped and fell, cracking her knee into the leg of the coffee table. 

Fleur and Bill descended immediately on their crying toddler, but Harry watched Teddy, who was holding his knee with tears in his eyes. 

“Tori, you hurt me!” he accused, but no one was listening.

Harry stood and went over to Teddy.

“Teddy, do you know what Soulmates are?”

 

FIN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who has read and reviewed, please continue to let me know what you think. And a million thanks to my lovely beta [ astraria ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/astraria)without whom this would be a sad sight indeed.


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